Sabhal Mòr Ostaig students and alumni amongst winners at FilmG awards 2018
Tha annual FilmG awards ceremony was held in Glasgow last Friday where they celebrated 10 years of MG Alba’s Gaelic short film competition. FilmG is delivered by Cànan, the multi-media company who are based at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig on the Isle of Skye.
Present on the night were many students of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, who had been successful in reaching the short list in many of the categories. There were also a large number of SMO alumni working at the event, who had undertaken the College’s Diploma in Gaelic Media or BA in Gaelic Media, and who are now employed professionally in the industry.
Lana Beaton from the Isle of Skye, a previous student of SMO and now studying BA (Hons) Acting for Stage and Screen at Edinburgh Napier University, had an exceptional evening winning 2 awards – Best Performance and Best Student Film – for her film ‘Coig Puing a Trì’. She also made it onto three short lists and won the People’s Choice award as voted by the public on the FilmG website.
Current SMO student, Peggy-May Chapple, also achieved a place on three short lists in the categories of Best Mobile Short, Most Promising New Director and Best Performance for her film ‘An Fhìrinn mu dheidhinn GERD’. Also successful in reaching the short list in the category for Best Mobile Short with his film, ‘Fàilte dhan Diungail: Beathaichean Gàidhlig’, was another student of SMO, Ross Christie. Ross, who comes from Argyll, is currently on his second year on the BA (Hons) Gaelic and Media Studies degree.
Rachel Ellen Mackay, who last year graduated from the Diploma in Gaelic Media course, made it onto two short lists in the categories for Best Heritage Film and Best Industry Director with her film ‘Gin Galore!’. Rachel, who comes from the Isle of Lewis, is currently employed by independent tv company Solas Productions in Glasgow. Another graduate from Sabhal Mòr’s TV course who was also shortlisted for her film ‘Amas na Bliadhn’ Ùire’ in the category for Best Industry Director was Victoria Kilgour from Glasgow. Victoria has been working as an editor for Glasgow based Filtr/Beesnees Media since graduating.
Also presenting an award on stage was SMO’s Principal, Professor Boyd Robertson, who gave the award for Best Heritage Film in the open category. SMO also sponsored the Gaelic awards, both fluent speakers and learners, of £500 each. Reflecting on the Ceremony, Prof. Robertson commented: “It is a great pleasure to attend the FilmG Awards and it is extremely encouraging to see so many talented youngsters taking part in the competition and attending the event. The team at Cànan do a tremendous job of running the project each year, encouraging people to participate and make films and providing training and support for those entering. It was especially uplifting for both myself and John Norman MacLeod, who has been Head of Studies at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig for 35 years, to see so many past and present SMO students involved in the entire event.’
